Ex-Seahawks star Brandon Browner signing with New England Patriots

Former Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner, a founding member of Seattle’s vaunted Legion of Boom secondary, said on Friday he will sign a free-agent contract with the New England Patriots despite being suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season.

Today, I am proud to announce that I am a New England Patriot. I am honored that the Patriots are making me part of their legendary organization, and am grateful for the opportunity Mr. (Robert) Kraft, Coach (Bill) Belichick, (team executive) Nick Caserio and the entire team have given me. I intend to diligently work with the same passion and dedication that I have displayed since coming into the NFL to uphold the great traditions and qualities that are embodied by the Patriots.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Seattle Seahawks for giving a CFL player the once in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to the NFL, making a young boy’s dream come true. To Coach Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider, John Idzik, Coach (Kris) Richard, Rocky Seto, the LOB, my teammates, the training staff, the equipment guys the Seahawks organization as a whole and most importantly the 12th Man, I say thank you for everything you have done for myself and my family.

I am a truly blessed person.

Browner’s deal with the Patriots followed reports, and then denials, Thursday evening that he would sign with New England. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport initially reported a two-year deal, but Browner’s agent denied the claims, saying Browner would visit the Washington Redskins on Friday.

It appears he never did, and he will now join veteran corner Darrelle Revis in the Patriots secondary.

Browner was busted after testing positive for marijuana during the 2013 season and received an indefinite suspension from the NFL. He was already injured (groin) and expected to miss the remainder of the Seahawks’ eventual Super Bowl-winning season, but the suspension seemed to doom his future in pro football.

But earlier this month, Browner reached a deal with the NFL and was reinstated as a free agent. He and his attorney successfully argued that Browner did not deserve a year-long suspension because he had been unfairly placed in the top tier of the league’s substance-abuse program, stemming from missed tests during his playing days in the Canadian Football League.

Browner was also banned in 2012 for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs, during a flurry of Seahawks PED suspensions that led some NFL fans to call the team the “Seadderall Seahawks.” He served a four-game suspension for that infraction.

Originally signed by the Denver Broncos in 2005 as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State, Browner missed that season with a broken arm and was cut in the 2006 offseason, apparently having also failed a drug test. He joined the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, where he flourished as a cornerback and helped his team win the 2008 Grey Cup — the Canadian equivalent of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Seahawks took notice and signed Browner for the 2011 season. He became an immediate starter in the secondary and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl for his performance that season, which included six interceptions — two of them returned for touchdowns — and 54 total tackles.

He remained a star through 2012, when the Seahawks began their surge to the top of the NFL. He started 12 games, missing four due to his PED suspension, and finished the season with three picks, three forced fumbles and 44 total tackles.

As a key member of the Legion of Boom, Browner started 2013 as a fan favorite, making one interception before he pulled a groin muscle during Seattle’s Week 8 victory in St. Louis. Despite his missing the remainder of the season, Browner received extra pay for the Seahawks’ appearances in the NFL Championship Game and Super Bowl XLVIII. Browner reportedly will also receive a Super Bowl championship ring.

The news of his signing brought well-wishes from some of his former teammates: